GM and Segway working on new balancing two-wheeler P.U.M.A. project

Please hold a moment while we check our calendars. Nope, it’s definitely not April 1. That must mean a General Motors tie-up with Segway must be true. The Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility Project (P.U.M.A. for short) will seek to develop a self balancing two-wheeled vehicle capable of reaching speeds of 35 mph – well above the Segway’s 12 mph top speed — for 35 miles.

Instead of the more common single track of a motorcycle, this electric vehicle will borrow the side-by-side arrangement popularized on the original Segway Personal Transporter. A lithium battery will store enough charge to allow the vehicle to travel for up to 35 miles on a single charge. Another interesting feature is the expected ability for each machine to communicate with vehicles around it, reducing the risk of accidents and regulating the flow of traffic.